Seattle Mariners: Where is the Mojo Madness?

"Sodo Mojo," "Two outs, so what?"

Slogans like these helped fuel the cheers at Safeco Field back when the Mariners astounded the baseball world and matched the single-season record of 116 wins, a record that had been untouched since it was set by the Cubs in 1906.

As a devout young fan at the age of 11, I relied on a slogan such as "Two outs, so what?" every time the Mariners offense found themselves with only one out left in an inning, just to keep my hopes up. Oftentimes, my prayers would be answered by the 2001 Mariners, and there came a feeling among fans that this team could do no wrong.

So where is the Mojo Madness now? Ever since the Mariners began their descent to the AL West cellar, the fans have lost that seemingly unwavering faith in their team. They've grown accustomed to the sight of Richie Sexon missing yet another pitch for strike three, seeing another hopeful rally killed by a double play.

It is tough to be a Mariners fan this year, but let's not forget that it's even harder to be a member of the Seattle Mariners. Many fans have gotten so fed up that they are booing members of their own team, in their own ballpark. It is easy to forget that Sexson came to the M's and earned his paycheck for his first two years, often using his 6'10" frame to carry the offense for weeks at a time.

We fans need to help bring back that feeling, that energy, that was palpable at Safeco during the 2000 and 2001 seasons. Let's not give the impression that we are a bandwagon fan base, only supporting our team when it wins.

We fans can create a very powerful and exciting environment in the stadium when we are on our feet, cheering until J.J. Putz or Brandon Morrow can shut the door and give us the victory. Seldom does the team let us down when we are there supporting them.

So let's bring back the energy, the Mojo, and hopefully, one day, the division.